Workshop | The 20th Century Archaeology in the Central-Eastern European Perspective

The 20th Century Archaeology in the Central-Eastern European Perspective

(Pilsen, Czechia, 7–8 December 2024)

Contemporary archaeology represents one of the most dynamically developing subfields, showing that the study of material evidence with the use of archaeological approaches and methods can make a significant contribution to the knowledge of the recent past. Archaeology opens up new research questions related to the materiality of the 20^th century history, usually overlooked by historians, as well as the understanding of the original environment and the spatial context of historical narratives. The reason for the attractiveness of “modernity” for the youngest generation of archaeologists, for students, but also for the general public may be linked to the fact that the material record of the recent past can often be related to events that are embedded in collective historical memory or even intersect with family histories.

In December 2011, the Department of Archaeology of the Faculty of Arts of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen organised the first seminar on the 19th-20th century archaeology in the Czech Republic. The discussion then sought responses regarding questions of “the meaning, possibilities and concept of the newly (in Bohemia and Moravia) forming archaeological specialisation”. A number of publications, student theses, lectures, as well as media interest and public feedback, have provided answers to the above questions over the past thirteen years.

This year’s workshop, which is organized in cooperation with the Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, follows up the first meeting in 2011 and is thematically focused on the 20th century archaeology. At the same time, the spatial framework is extended to the wider Central-Eastern European context, which is connected not only by a shared recent past, but also by similar peripeteia associated with the establishment of contemporary archaeology. We welcome papers presenting a wide range of topics from the archaeology of modern conflicts, the archaeology of Nazi and Communist totalitarianism, the study of the transformations of modern landscapes, settlements and rural environments, the archaeology of the contemporary city or industrial archaeology, to research on artefactual culture and garbology. Given the significant proportion of research dealing with the Second World War, we choose this topic as a separate block.

The workshop will take place on 7-8 December 2024 (always from 9:00) at the Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (Sedláčkova 15, 3rd floor).

6 December evening: unformal meeting “Na šalandě” in the lager cellars of the Pilsner Urquell brewery.
7 December evening: traditional Pilsen pub “U Salzmannů”.
8 December afternoon: excursion to the WWII archaeological sites in Pilsen and to the Pilsner Urquell brewery.

Submissions with the title and abstract of your paper should be sent by 6 October to the following e-mail address: vareka@kar.zcu.cz.

The programme is available for download below.

On request, accommodation for the workshop participants can be booked in the guest rooms of the University of West Bohemia (Bolevecká 91).